


The Phantom Prophecy (Book 2)

by SparksNerd



Series: The Phantom King Trilogy [2]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:34:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25325485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SparksNerd/pseuds/SparksNerd
Summary: A few months after the defeat of Vizier and the revival of the Ghost Zone monarchy, peace is slowly coming to the once chaotic Ghost Zone. That peace is soon interrupted when a haunting prophecy is unearthed spelling out the doom of the Ghost Zone and human world. The cause? Danny Phantom himself! Can Danny Phantom and his friends discover the truth behind this harrowing prophecy? Or will they be too late to stop it?Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom
Series: The Phantom King Trilogy [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1829113
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	1. A New Beginning

Amity Park. A quiet town in which almost nothing extraordinary occurred. Well, aside from the occasional ghost invasion. On a sunny day in the beginning of fall, three friends were walking through the local park on their way to a movie.

"Danny, as much as we love Spider-Man, I don't think watching his newest movie will make up for you letting Cujo loose and almost drowning me and Tucker in his slobber," a goth girl said unhappily to her raven haired friend.

"Yeah, but it's a start right?" replied the raven haired boy, Danny, as he plastered a large smile on his face. The goth girl and African-American boy did not look amused. Danny sighed, "C'mon Sam, Tuck, you know it was an accident."

Their technogeek friend, Tucker, scowled at Danny, "I broke another PDA because of that slobbering mutt. And I still hadn't paid off the one I broke last week when we fought Technus 2.0!" he cried out, throwing his hands in the air.

Danny jogged in front of his friends, stopping them in their tracks. "Okay, okay, I get it. I'm being a bad teammate again," the teen admitted, hanging his head, "I'm sorry."

Seeing their friend sincerely apologetic for his actions made Sam and Tucker drop their scowls immediately. They walked up to Danny with Sam spinning the raven haired boy around and Tucker slinging his arm over Danny's shoulders.

"It's cool, man," Tucker said, sliding his hand through the air for emphasis. He suddenly shivered and removed his arm from Danny's shoulders so he could wrap it around himself. "Literally," he said, teeth chattering, "I should have brought a jacket."

"C'mon Tuck, it's the beginning of fall," Sam sighed, raising an eyebrow at her chilly friend. She pointed up at the sun shining bright in the sky. "There isn't a single cloud in the sky. How can you possibly be cold?" she asked.

"Guys, hurry" Danny urged his friends, speeding up his walking pace, "we're gonna miss the previews!"

Tucker continued to shiver as he followed after Danny. "What's the rush, Danny? We have plenty of time. It's not like a ghost is gonna pop out of nowhere and ruin our whole day," he chuckled as his teeth continued to chatter.

Danny sighed, realizing his friend had a point. As he slowed his pace back down to a normal walking speed, screams erupted in the distance. The teen whipped around and frowned at Tucker. "You were saying?" he asked the technogeek sarcastically.

Tucker offered Danny a small smile and a shrug in response which earned him a punch in the arm from Sam.

Looking around to make sure there was no one nearby, Danny curled his hands into fists and cried out, "I'm going ghost!". White rings appeared around his waist and washed over his body, transforming his jeans and t-shirt into a black and white HAZMAT suit. His pale skin became tan as his raven hair shifted to white. Baby blue eyes turned toxic green and shone bright with energy. He leaped into the air, flying off in the direction of the screams.

"Don't worry, we'll catch up," Sam yelled after the halfa, knowing full well that he was already out of earshot. She sighed, slapping her hand over her eyes. "I swear that ghost boy is missing some brain cells," Sam mumbled.

Tucker placed a shaky hand on Sam's shoulder. "He may be an idiot, but he's our idiot," Tucker reminded her. He removed his hand and returned to trying to warm himself. "Which means we better go after him."

More screams in the distance caused both humans to jump. They shared a look of fear as they imagined all the horrible situations Danny could be in at that moment. "Right now," they said in unison and started running in the direction of all the noise.

**GREETINGS! IT IS I! THE GREAT AND POWERFUL LINE BREAK! MAKING MY FIRST APPEARANCE IN THIS BRAND NEW SEQUEL! BE SURE TO LEAVE ME OFFERINGS AND CONTINUE ON WITH THE REST OF THE CHAPTER!**

"You know," Danny yelled as he dodged an attack from Johnny 13's shadow, "there are better ways to deal with breakups than destroying public property!"

Johnny 13 dodged a blast from his on again-off again girlfriend Kitty. He returned fire with a blast from his motorcycle's headlight, hitting Kitty in the chest and knocking the green haired ghost into a tree. Kitty attempted to get back up, but collapsed, unconscious. Johnny then aimed his motorcycle at Danny while the teenage halfa was distracted by the shadow. He revved the engine and grinned. "Oh yeah? I've heard running over pint-sized punks is a good alternative!" the greasy-haired ghost replied, speeding towards Danny.

The young halfa noticed the approaching motorcycle in the corner of his eye. He grinned as an idea popped into his head. Danny continued fighting Johnny's shadow, letting the shadow get closer and closer. As Johnny was nearly right beside Danny, the halfa dove out of the way causing Johnny to run into his shadow. The two ghosts tumbled out of the air and landed on the ground, stunned.

Danny floated to the ground, as Sam and Tucker arrived. "Danny, catch!" Sam yelled, throwing a Fenton Thermos at the white-haired teen.

Danny caught it with ease and opened the cap. He aimed the thermos at Johnny and his shadow, then Kitty. Sealing the thermos he gave it a little shake and chuckled. "Hopefully they'll be able to chill out in there," the halfa said with a laugh.

His joke received blank stares from his friends. "'cause, a thermos can keep things cold or hot?" Danny explained, holding out the thermos.

Sam and Tucker groaned, slapping their hands over their eyes. "Dude, that was probably your worst one yet," Tucker sighed, shaking his head.

Danny rolled his eyes as white rings appeared around his waist, transforming him back into his human self. "Whatever," he mumbled, stuffing the thermos in his pocket. He walked past his friends, heading back in the direction they came from. "Let's just hurry," the halfa grumbled over his shoulder, "At this rate we're gonna miss the mo-." Danny was cut off by suddenly bumping into an unknown obstacle and falling to the ground.

Sam and Tucker rushed to Danny's side and helped their friend to his feet. The raven haired teen shook his head and focused his vision on what he bumped into. Blue eyes widened as he stared into the burning green eyes of a ghost horse.

"Prince Phantom!" a voice boomed, from above. Danny looked up to a ghost clad in black armor with a flowing purple cape. On the cape was a The ghost's features were entirely hidden by his helmet aside from his glowing green eyes. "Your presence is requested by his Majesty, King Galahad!" the ghost announced loudly, holding out a scroll in front of him. The scroll unrolled itself and showed a short message addressed to Danny.

The halfa groaned. "Come on, not now," Danny whined, "Can't you just go tell him I'm busy right now? I promise I'll swing by after the movie."

"I am afraid that is impossible your Highness!" the knight replied, staring down at Danny, "I was instructed to return with you at any cost."

Danny sighed, hanging his head in defeat.

Sam crossed her arms, frowning at the ghost knight. "This has got to be the fourth time this week that he's asked you to come to the castle," she said, turning to Danny. She raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Guess he got tired of you ignoring his little messengers and decided to send out the big guns," she said, eyeing the ghost knight up and down.

"I'm glad you're enjoying this," Danny replied, unhappily, "'cause I'm not." Danny finished his statement by slouching and scowling at Sam who merely shrugged in response. The halfa straightened his back, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out three movie tickets. He turned around.

"You guy's should go see the movie, I owed you guys after all," Danny sighed, holding out the tickets.

Tucker held out a trembling hand and pushed the tickets away. "N-No way man. We can s-see the movie another t-time," the technogeek stammered as he continued to shiver, though he couldn't tell if it was from the cold or fear of the giant ghost knight in front of them. "W-Where you go, w-we go."

Danny looked at Sam who nodded in agreement. A smile appeared on the young halfa's face. He spun to face the ghost knight, transforming into his ghostly alter ego. "Alright, let's go," he huffed, still clearly annoyed by the unwanted invitation ruining his plans for the day.

The black armored knight pulled on the reigns of his horse and turned around. The knight removed a silver horn with green markings on it from his waist and held it up to his helmet. A sharp, brassy note pierced the air and caused Danny to wince and clap his hands over his ears. Tucker and Sam looked at Danny in concern and confusion.

The note died away and the knight returned the horn to its place on his waist. Danny let his hands fall away from his ears and noticed the concerned gazes of his friends. Before he could ask them what was wrong, the air around them grew warm and a portal to the Ghost Zone appeared.

"After you, your Highness," the ghost knight said with a bow, moving out of the way of the portal.

Danny shared a look with Tucker and Sam before grabbing their hands and flying into the portal, with the ghost knight following close behind.

**hiiiiii! it's me! littlest line break! i've missed you all so much! i made friendship bracelets for everyone! it would make me super happy if you took one! ok, that's all i had to say. enjoy the chapter! byeeeeee!**

Danny, Sam and Tucker arrived at Saint Graal Castle (Fright Knight had changed the name since he felt Phantom's Keep was no longer appropriate) and were immediately ushered towards the throne room by castle staff.

"Guys, c'mon," Danny said to the staff as they didn't slow down, "what's the rush?"

Danny's question was answered as the three friends entered the throne room. The three teens found themselves being stared at by Fright Knight, Clockwork and two Observants that seemed oddly familiar to Danny. The young halfa felt the glares of one of the Observants bore into him.

"How kind of you to finally join us, your Highness," hissed the Observant glaring at Danny, making sure to add venom to the word 'Highness'.

"Do not forget your manners, Paradai," scolded the golden sash wearing Observant floating next to him, "We are here to instruct the Prince, not scold him."

Danny racked his brain for why the name Paradai sounded familiar. He was suddenly reminded of the coronation, many months ago. The Observant who had objected to Danny's decision to pass on the crown to Fright Knight. The teen offered a sheepish smile at Paradai, who's glare hardened in response.

"We thank you for making time to join us, your Highness," the golden sashed Observant said with a bow. The Observant straightened his back and folded his hands in front of him. "You may not remember me, but I am known as Airian," the Observant said. "And this," he continued, gesturing to his partner, "is Paradai."

While Airian spoke, Clockwork, Paradai and Fright Knight remained silent; their gazes glued to Danny and his friends. Sam and Tucker felt out of place in the room, but they promised Danny that they would stay by his side and that was what they were going to do.

"King Galahad has been very gracious to assist us in contacting you," Airian went on, floating to Danny's side. He subtly pushed by Sam and Tucker and placed a hand on Danny's shoulder, leading him away.

The two humans stared daggers into Airian's back when they suddenly felt a large hand grip their shoulders. Sam and Tucker turned to see Fright Knight. They prepared themselves to put up a fight, thinking that he was their to remove them from the room, but instead Fright Knight seemed to be seeking comfort. His face was hidden by his helmet but his green eyes shone with concern. Tucker and Sam shared a look and Tucker reached up to pat the Ghost King's hand. Fright seemed shocked by the gesture, but didn't remove his hands.

As Airian led Danny away from the group, the teen became sheepish. "Yeah, being a teen superhero keeps me pretty busy," Danny chuckled nervously. He wasn't about to admit that he had been intentionally ignoring any and all messages he had received from the Ghost Zone.

Airian nodded, closing his enormous bloodshot eye. "Of course, of course," he said understandingly, "But I do feel the need to remind you of the agreement you made, my Prince." Airian opened his eye to look down at Danny, noticing that the teen was avoiding his gaze.

Danny hung his head, letting his white bangs cover his eyes. Shortly after the coronation, the Observant's had made a deal with Danny regarding his reluctance to claim the throne. The Observant's agreed to recognize Fright Knight aka Galahad as King regent, so long as Danny agreed to learn the ropes of running a kingdom. With a bit of urging from Clockwork, the teen halfa accepted the deal, but had been doing everything in his power to avoid fulfilling his part of said deal.

"I'm sorry," Danny mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "This all still seems like so much."

"I know it seems hard, Danny," Clockwork said, appearing at Danny's side, "but Galahad cannot rule for you forever."

Danny glanced over at the current King of the Ghost Zone. He stood close to Sam and Tucker, almost like he was protecting them. Danny felt a small smile creep onto his face. The halfa knew that Fright Knight was a good choice to rule and was hoping that he would have been good enough that the Observant's would have forgotten all about making Danny the next King.

The teen's eyes widened when Fright Knight suddenly started to walk over to him, Sam and Tucker trailing close behind.

"If I may interrupt," the King called, gaining the attention of both Observants and Clockwork. "But maybe it would be best if I talk to him?" Fright Knight offered.

Paradai raised his hand to protest, but was silenced with a quick glare from Airian.

"Very well," Clockwork agreed, shifting to his elderly form. He and the Observants waited for Fright Knight to say his piece.

The King cleared his throat, adjusting his flaming cape. "I meant, alone," he explained.

Clockwork narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. Without a word, he and the Observants left the throne room but not before Paradai sent one last glare Danny's way.

Sam let out a large sigh. "Man, I'll never get used to the sight of those guys," she said with a shiver.

"I'll second that," Tucker agreed.

Danny laughed at his friends. Even though he had been around the Observant's countless times, he also had to agree that they were still hard to get used to.

The teen then turned his attention to Fright Knight. As the Ghost King was about to speak, Danny held up a hand. "If you're going to lecture me, Fright, I don't want to hear it," Danny sighed, "I already know I've been irresponsible and that you're disappointed in me and whatever else you're going to tell me."

Sam and Tucker were shocked to hear their friend talk so angrily about himself. They hadn't realized how much the Prince thing had been bothering him. "Danny," Sam whispered, reaching out to her friend.

"I wasn't going to say any of that," Fright Knight admitted, shaking his head. Danny looked up in shock, immediately feeling bad for taking his frustration out on his ghost friend. The halfa opened his mouth to apologize but Fright talked over him, "No need for apologies, your frustration is only to be expected."

The Ghost King walked towards the large throne at the back of the room. Next to the throne was a small stone pillar with a red satin pillow atop it. Resting on the pillow was the Crown of Fire.

The teens followed after Fright, sharing looks of confusion. "Danny," Fright Knight began, stopping suddenly in his tracks, "I want to make my own deal with you." The Ghost King turned around to look down at his former liege. "I will be honest in saying that I too have not been giving my full effort in accepting my new role as King," he admitted, a hint of shame in his voice. "I felt that I was betraying my word to you as your loyal servant, but at the same time I felt that if I didn't try I would be letting your faith in me go to waste."

Danny felt guilt rise up in his chest. He hadn't even considered what handing over the crown to Fright Knight would do to his former bodyguard. The halfa had been selfish in his decision and felt the immediate urge to apologize. "Fright, I'm so sor-" Danny began, before Fright Knight cut him off again.

"I already told you there is no need for apologies," the Ghost King instructed. He sighed and walked over to the pillar where the Crown of Fire rested. He stared into the luminescent green flames, lost in their mystical glow. "But that is why I would like to make this deal; just between the two of us," he said, not taking his eyes off the crown.

Danny looked from his friends to Fright Knight and back to his friends. Sam and Tucker seemed just as lost for words as Danny was.

"I will rule the Ghost Zone for however long you need me to," Fright Knight started, jerking Danny's attention back to him. "I will not question it, I will not fight it. Not just as your loyal servant..." the armor clad ghost trailed off, looking to Danny. His green eyes looked at the young halfa fondly, "but as your friend," he finished.

Danny felt his guilt slowly melt away as he sensed no malice or resentment coming from the Ghost King. He was so grateful that he and Fright had been able to bury the hatchet and become friends and allies.

"In return," Fright Knight continued, his tone becoming serious, "you have to at least try to take your royal responsibilities seriously." The Ghost King scratched his helmet, green eyes drifting to the doors of the throne room. "I have done my best to keep the Observant Council and Clockwork pacified while attempting to warn you of their growing impatience, but you never returned my messages," he explained, his eyes drifting back to Danny and his friends.

Sam and Tucker glared at Danny as the teen wished his powers would act up then and there and let him sink into the floor of the castle. He didn't have it in him to admit to Fright Knight that he was intentionally avoiding the messages, even though he had no idea what they said.

"I will teach you myself, and your friends can accompany you if you feel that would make the situation easier," the Ghost King added, looking to Tucker and Sam for support.

The two humans shared a look before nodding. Sam gave Fright Knight a thumbs up while Tucker sent him an encouraging smile. Danny noticed his friends' agreement to the plan and sighed.

"If that'll keep the Observants off my back, then I guess I'll try," Danny finally agreed.

Fright Knight's eyes lit up with happiness and he turned back to the Crown of Fire. He scooped up the crown and held it above his helmet. "Then we have no time to waste," the Ghost King exclaimed, placing the crown on his head.

The Crown of Fire's green flames flickered away as purple flames took their place. Purple flames soon engulfed Fright Knight's entire body, causing the three teens to cry out in alarm. Danny was about to fly off to find help when the flames died away.

Where Fright Knight once stood, was a very handsome grey-ish blue skinned ghost. He had long, wavy brown curly hair that came down past his shoulders. His face was mostly covered by a well maintained beard and he had shining green eyes. The ghost wore a simple black tunic with gold embellishments and black pants with black boots. A flaming purple cape extended from his shoulders to just above his ankles. Around his waist was a silver belt and sword sheath that held what appeared to be Fright Knight's sword, the Soul Shredder.

"Come young Prince, Lady Sam and Sir Tucker!" the ghost said excitedly in a voice that sounded very similar to Fright Knight's, "We have much to do!"

All three teens' jaws dropped as they came to the same realization. The ghost in front of them was in fact Fright Knight.

"What... just happened," Tucker managed to say, breaking the silence.

Fright Knight looked at his body, eyes widening in realization. He chuckled awkwardly extending his arms. "This is how I looked in my human days," he explained. "This is who Galahad was before I became Fright Knight."

The teens began bombarding the Ghost King with questions, which he answered as best he could. He had a feeling that being royalty wasn't going to be as bad as he thought. And as he saw the excitement in Danny's eyes, he felt pride in being able to serve his liege and help him learn to rule the Ghost Zone one day.

**HI! IT'S ME! THE AMAZING LINE BREAK! I am so excited to see you all again! I can't wait to see where this story goes :) Ok, you can go back to reading the chapter now!**

Outside the throne room, Clockwork paced back and forth shifting from form to form. The Observants had long left, saying something about needing to report back to the Council. Airian had asked Clockwork to let them know what the Prince had decided upon once his conversation with King Galahad had finished. Paradai had tried to burst back into the room, but Airian dragged him off before the frustrated Observant caused a scene.

"It seems like someone's getting anxious," a voiced cooed from above the Time Master.

Clockwork looked up and found himself looking at a starry night sky. His form settled on his elderly form as a scowl graced his normally expressionless features. "And I wonder who is the cause of my problems?" he hissed in return.

Nocturne chuckled as he shrunk in size and floated next to Clockwork. "Come now, old friend," he whispered, his voice sickly sweet, "You of all spirits should have known what was going to happen when you involve me in one of your plans." He extended a hand, admiring his shimmering claws. Splashes of purple became more prominent on his glittery body as he smiled to himself. "I agreed to help you, but I never agreed to follow your plans," he reminded.

Clockwork narrowed his eyes, glaring at Nocturne. He decided to not feed into Nocturne's need for attention and ignored the Elder Spirit, resuming his pacing.

Nocturne flew in front of Clockwork. "Need I remind you that it was you who asked me to meet you here today for some oh so important reason?" Nocturne said, resuming his normal tone. He raised an eyebrow at the Master of Time.

Clockwork stopped his pacing and looked at Nocturne from the corner of his eye. He adjusted the time on his staff as he shifted to his toddler form before floating past the starry spirit. "Come," he urged, "we don't have much time."

Nocturne snickered, following after his fellow Elder Spirit. "Now isn't that quite ironic," he mused to himself.

The two spirits exited the castle and came to a stop just outside the realm. Clockwork twirled his staff and a blue portal came into existence. The two spirits crossed through the portal and found themselves in Clockwork's viewing chamber.

The purple clad spirit turned to Nocturne, a deadly serious look in his eyes. "What happens today, stays in these tower walls," he warned, the scar running through his left eye glowing a dangerous red, "Understood?"

Nocturne rolled his eyes, huffing in annoyance, "Yes yes, can we just get on with it now?" he asked, a slight whine in his voice.

Clockwork narrowed his eyes at Nocturne, but didn't push the subject any further. He tapped his staff on the largest of the viewing screens. The screens began to gently rock into each other until the image of a darkened hall appeared on the main screen.

Without a word, Clockwork flew into the screen, the image rippling around him as he disappeared into the image.

Nocturne felt a devious smile creep onto his pale features. "Oh," he giggled, "this is certainly going to be very interesting!" He finished his statement by flying into the screen. Once the starry spirit passed through, the image rippled once more before disappearing.

An eerie silence filled the chamber, only being broken by the sound of ticking clocks.


	2. Meanwhile...

Vlad Masters leaned back in his chair in the comfort of his own castle's office. A black leather clad book rested on his face, covering his tired features. The desk in front of him was covered in books, scrolls, scattered papers and journals, all written in different languages and symbols. A golden dove in a gilded cage rested on a coffee table on the other side of the room, chirping endlessly. Vlad had tried everything to make it stop, but nothing would make the glittering bird shut up. 

The elder halfa groaned, feeling a migraine coming on. He heard the doors of his study open and the clinking of glassware being placed on his desk. The doors quickly shut as Vlad removed the book from his face and looked at his desk. A hot cup of green tea was sitting on a clear spot on his desk. Vlad felt a small smile creep on his face as he picked up the cup and took a sip. He almost spit it out immediately as he felt a pulsing warmth rise in his chest. 

Vlad swallowed and groaned. "I do wish you would stop appearing so suddenly," he complained, staring into the shadows of his office. 

A ghost with features completely hidden by a tattered dark purple cloak floated out of the darkness, narrowing its red eyes. "And I wish you would make some progress on our research," the ghost snapped back, annoyed.

Vlad raised an eyebrow at his ally. He took another sip of his tea before setting the cup down and picking up the book that had been resting on his face moments ago. He opened it flipping through the pages, landing on a random page and hitting it with the back of his hand. "I have been searching for answers for the past three months!" he said, exasperated. 

He set the book down, sifting through the piles of papers and scrolls on his desk. "I have been searching, reading, and translating endlessly, all while trying to run a backwater city!" Vlad exclaimed, pushing papers off his desk. "I have found nothing, not one thing that could get us closer to finding out who and where the Ancients are! Meanwhile you disappear doing heaven knows what!" Vlad breathed heavily, having finished his outburst. Normally the elder halfa would have not lost his composure so easily but months of hitting nothing but dead ends had Vlad Masters at the end of his rope.

The feature-less ghost remained silent. It floated closer to Vlad's desk, crouching to the floor to pick up a soft blue leather bound book with black and gold symbols covering it. "We hit a standstill because we both lacked the knowledge to read this text," the ghost mused, opening the book and flipping through it's decaying pages mindlessly. "But now," the ghost continued, extending a green, skeletal hand that held a tiny silver book, "we may have all our questions answered."

"What is that?" Vlad asked, eyeing the small book. It was no bigger than the ghost's palm, with a silver cover. Tiny writing could be seen on the front but Vlad couldn't make out the words.

"This, dear Plasmius, is a Spirit Tome," the ghost explained, childlike glee in their eyes. "It holds infinite knowledge of, well, _everything,_ " the cloaked specter finished with a shrug.

Realization flickered in Vlad's eyes. A devious grin appeared on his face as he took the Spirit Tome from the ghost's skeletal hand. "Which includes unknown languages, I assume?" he asked with a smirk, holding up the tiny book.

The ghost nodded. "They are very rare and hard to find," they explained, taking the Spirit Tome back. They cleared the desk of all clutter and placed the Tome on the desk next to the book Vlad had stolen from Ghost Writer's library months ago. "Luckily, after you destroyed that Ghost Writer's domain, many of his collections were scattered about the Ghost Zone. I was lucky to find that little treasure," the red eyed spirit chuckled.

Black rings appeared around Vlad's waist and spread over his body, transforming him into his evil alter ego, Vlad Plasmius. He stood and leaned over the desk, staring at the two books. "So how do we use it?" he asked.

"If the legends are correct," the ghost said, placing a bony finger on the Spirit Tome, "if you connect the item you wish to gain knowledge of with the Spirit Tome, the answers you seek shall appear before you." A second green hand made of bone opened the blue leather bound book, flipping to a random page. The nameless ghost placed their hand on the page, closing their eyes. 

Vlad glanced from the Tome to the book, to the cloaked ghost, and back to the Tome. Nothing was happening. Just as Vlad was about to comment, a pulsing glow began to emit from the Spirit Tome. The elder halfa tilted his head in wonder and turned his gaze to the stolen book. The symbols on the page began to ripple, shifting and moving until they formed... words. Actual English words!

"Butter biscuits, it worked!" Vlad cried out in disbelief. 

The cloaked ghost opened their eyes, removing it's bony hands from the books. Vlad scooped up the blue leather bound book and started flipping through the pages, eyes widening in amazement as he saw every page in the book had been translated from unintelligible symbols into words.

"Fascinating," he whispered, skimming through the pages. He closed the book, placing it back on his desk and grabbing the Spirit Tome. "With this, finding the Ancients will be as easy as slicing through cream cheese," he snickered.

Vlad set the Tome back on his desk and knelt down to grab a fallen scroll that he had been trying to translate for nearly six months. As he grabbed it, a flash of light from the corner of his eye caught his attention. The elder halfa stood and saw that the Spirit Tome had vanished. 

"Where did the Spirit Tome go?!" Vlad cried out, searching for the tiny book. He turned his gaze to the cloaked ghost, who had been oddly silent about the disappearance of the book.

"Before you waste your breath, no I have nothing to do with the Tome's disappearance," the ghost uttered, sounding mildly annoyed.

"Well it can't have just vanished!" Vlad stated, slamming his fists down on his desk.

"Actually, it did," the ghost replied without missing a beat. Noticing Vlad's expression growing angrier and more confused by the second, the dark purple clad ghost tried to explain, "According to legend, you can only use the Tome once. After its use, it sets adrift once more, and no one knows where it will end up."

At this point, Vlad was seething with rage. "Then why did you waste it translating one book?!" he questioned angrily, "You could have asked for the knowledge of who the Ancients are, where they are, or how to find them!" The elder halfa breathed heavily, trying to calm himself.

The cloaked ghost tilted their head. "But," they began, "where would be the challenge in that?"

Vlad felt his core drop into his stomach. Was this ghost serious? Were they purposefully trying to make their search for the Ancients that much more difficult? Or did they have another motive? The return of Vlad's migraine stopped all his thoughts as he sunk back into his chair. Blacks rings appeared around his waist as he fell, transforming him back into his human form. He reached for his cup of green tea that had now gone cold. He took a sip regardless and sighed. "Leave me," he ordered, "we will continue tomorrow."

The ghost narrowed their red eyes at Vlad, saying nothing. The cloak covering their features swished as they whipped around and disappeared into the shadows of Vlad's study.

Vlad groaned, taking one last sip of his cold tea. He stood, taking one look at the mess surrounding his desk and telling himself he would clean it up tomorrow. He left his study and made his way up to his bedroom, preparing himself for a dreamless sleep.

Tomorrow he would begin his research anew, with the book stolen from Ghost Writer's mansion at his disposal. The mere thought of it put a small smile on Vlad's face and made his core pound with eagerness. But it would have to wait for tomorrow. Right now, he had a warm bed waiting for him with his beloved cat.

** THE ALL MIGHTY LINE BREAK APPEARS! YOU ARE FORCED TO GIVE UP ANY AND ALL OFFERINGS TO ME IMMEDIATELY! THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND PROCEED WITH READING THE CHAPTER! **

The sound of ticking clocks echoed throughout Clockwork's empty viewing chamber. Suddenly, they all stopped, creating a deafening silence. That was soon broken by the gentle clinking of the many viewing screens gently knocking into each other. An image of a darkened hall appeared on the main screen and began to ripple as Clockwork and Nocturne emerged from the image.

"Well," Nocturne said softly, his eyes wide, "that certainly was interesting."

Clockwork shifted between forms rapidly, wincing slightly, before settling on his middle aged form. He turned his attention to his staff, adjusting the time obsessively. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed something small and silver glittering. He ignored it and turned to Nocturne who was busily adjusting the iridescent pedant hanging from a silver chain attached to his upturned curled horns.

"Save it Clockwork," Nocturne said quickly as the Time Master opened his mouth, "I know the rules. Not that I could tell anyone anyway. Even I barely understand what just happened."

Clockwork's expression became deadpan as he floated back to his main viewing screen. He tapped his staff on the screen and the image of the darkened hall faded away.

"I hope all of this will be worth it," he muttered to himself.

"Even if it isn't," Nocturne chuckled, moving to Clockwork's side, "it is certainly going to be one of the most interesting things I have seen in a very long time."

As Nocturne's laughter grew louder, Clockwork couldn't help but stare at his own reflection in the viewing glass. He reached up to touch the scar running through his left eye and his expression hardened. He couldn't back down. Not now. Not when he was so close. Everything was beginning to fall into place, just as time intended it.

The screen rippled until an image of Danny Phantom appeared on the screen. Clockwork pressed the stopwatch button on the top of his staff and the image began to move, showing the current events of Danny Phantom. He was flying through Saint Graal Castle with his friends and King Galahad as the Ghost King appeared to be giving them a tour of the castle.

"Poor little halfa," Nocturne mused, "he has no idea what's coming."

"All is as it should be," Clockwork said, not particularly responding to Nocturne. As the starry spirit continued to watch the screen, Clockwork turned away from the screen, floating to the doors leading out of his chambers. Danny's laughter echoed behind him as he passed through the doors, slamming them shut behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey all! Sorry that this chapter is kinda short. I wanted to include it in the last one but I felt like it was already too long, so you get this mini chapter instead! Hope you enjoyed it! And as always, I'll see you in the next update!


	3. To Teach a Prince

Danny and his friends currently stood in the center of a grand library. Shelves filled with books of all sizes and colours reached far up to the ceiling and it was impossible to see the tops of them. The floor was lined with purple and black checkered carpeting while the walls were painted silver. Large lanterns shaped like upside-down goblets hung from the ceiling and fully illuminated the library. There were tables and chairs made of black coloured oak scattered about the room for anyone to sit at and read. Floating about the room was a familiar ghost covered in bandages.

"Ghost Writer!" Fright Knight called out, waving his arms.

Ghost Writer whipped around to face the new comers. Half of his face was wrapped in bandages and his glasses were cracked. His right arm was in a sling and his left leg was in a cast. He had a tall stack of books tucked under his un-injured arm as multiple other books floated around him. At the sight of the four who had just entered, Ghost Writer frowned and floated to the floor, setting the books under his arm on a nearby table.

After the injured Ghost Writer had crashed into Danny's coronation almost three months ago, he had been in a coma for the past two months and only recently awoke. He decided to stay at the castle so his wounds could heal and was using the library as a temporary realm since his mansion had been destroyed. The book loving ghost claimed he had no memory of how he ended up at the castle, just that he felt drawn towards it after the attack.

He walked over to the group, bowing slightly in front of Fright Knight, saying a quick greeting of, "Your Majesty." His eye drifted to Danny as he straightened his back. He grimaced slightly as he muttered, "and Highness."

Danny raised an eyebrow at Ghost Writer's blatant rudeness towards him; it seemed that Ghost Writer wasn't completely over his defeat at Danny's hands and winding up in Walker's prison. "Nice to see that you're back on your feet," Danny said, a slight edge in his voice. 

Ghost Writer adjusted his cracked glasses, scowling at Danny. A strained smile appeared on his face as Ghost Writer turned his attention back on the Ghost King, placing a hand on his chest. "And how may I help you, King Galahad?" he asked, the obviously forced smile on his face growing wider.

The former ghost knight placed a hand on Danny's shoulder, a smile appearing on his face as he said, "I would like to request your assistance in teaching the young Prince the history of the Ghost Zone."

The three teen's eyes widened as they stared up at the Ghost King. "Uh, Fright?" Danny began, picking up the hand on his shoulder and removing it, "when you said you'd teach me the ropes of the kingdom, I didn't think you meant it literally."

The Ghost King tilted his head at the young halfa. "What did you think I meant?" he asked.

Danny shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck, "You know, kingly stuff like... making laws or something. Not a history lesson," the teen offered. He looked to his friends for support but they just shrugged in response. Danny frowned, looking back to Fright Knight. 

The Ghost King sighed, ushering the three teens into the room. He sat them down at the table where Ghost Writer had placed his books and pulled out a chair for said ghost to also sit. "Learning the past is important to help move the Ghost Zone into the future," Fright Knight explained as he picked up one of the many books on the table and flipped it open, "so we will start from the beginning."

Danny, Sam and Tucker all groaned. "Of course school would find a way to follow us into the Ghost Zone," Tucker whined, sinking down in his chair.

A glint appeared in Fright Knight's eyes as a smile grew on his face. "Oh that is a brilliant idea!" he exclaimed, "I am your teacher and you are my students." His eyes drifted to Ghost Writer who was just staring off into space. "And Sir Poe can be my assistant! He is quite knowledgeable about the history of the Ghost Zone."

Ghost Writer rolled his eyes, reaching for a book and opening it carelessly. "My mansion used to hold all sorts of ancient texts from the Ghost Zone's past," he muttered. "Stories of the Ancients, Elders, scriptures of different periods and artifacts from a time before even I came to this realm. But it's all gone now." There was a hint of sadness creeping into Ghost Writer's voice as he mourned the loss of his mansion filled with his beloved books. The castle library held many of the same books, but not all of them.

"You must be like, a Ghost Zone expert then," Sam mused, propping her feet up on the table and leaning back in her chair.

Ghost Writer looked up from his book, raising an eyebrow at the goth. "I'm not an _expert_ ," he hissed, "I'm a scholar." He closed the book he was reading and rose from his seat, floating about the room. "I know nearly everything single detail about the Ghost Zone and its vast history. I even wrote some of it," he commented as he flew from shelf to shelf, grabbing books and having them float behind him in a large stack. Once he had seemingly collected all the books he was looking for, Ghost Writer returned to the table and dropped the stack of books which had to be at least twice as tall as any of the teens.

The injured ghost traced the spines of the books, looking at them lovingly. "These books are some of the most informative pieces of history the Ghost Zone possesses," he explained. "Especially this one." A soft blue leather bound book with black and gold symbols covering it floated out from the stack of books and into Ghost Writer's hand. He placed the book in front of the three teens and Ghost King who had all become very interested in what Ghost Writer was telling them.

Danny opened the book and started flipping through the pages, only to find none of them had any writing, just odd symbols and images. "This is the most important book in Ghost Zone history?" he asked, shooting a skeptical glance at Ghost Writer, "you can't even read it."

"That's because it's written in First Speak," Ghost Writer retorted, pointing to the symbols. "This was the very first language to ever exist." He placed his non-injured hand on his chin to stroke his beard as another book floated out from the stack. The pages opened and flipped to a page detailing languages of the Ghost Zone. "The methods to translate this language have long been lost to time. Only ghosts from the time of the Ancients and Elder Spirits could read this," Ghost Writer continued, pointing to the languages listed in the second book.

The three teens scanned the book, seeing references to English, Esperanto, Latin, Coptic and even some mentions of Sanskrit. There were multiple different sets of symbols that did not resemble words at all, but none looked anything like the ones in the blue leather bound book.

"So, what's the point of showing us a book we can't even read?" Tucker asked, flipping through the indecipherable pages, squinting at them as if that would magically make the odd symbols form words.

The young halfa suddenly had a realization and stood abruptly. "Wait a second," Danny said, picking up the book, and holding it out to Ghost Writer, "who did you say were the only ones that could read this book?"

The injured ghost adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "Any ghost that existed during the time of the Ancients and Elder Spirits, including the Ancients and Elders themselves," he scoffed, rolling his eyes in the process.

Danny's eyes lit up in excitement, his hands shaking the book. "We know someone who can read this then!" he exclaimed.

Ghost Writer's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "That's impossible!" he cried out, slamming his un-injured hand on the table, "no ghost from that time still lingers in the Ghost Zone. Not to mention the Ancients haven't been seen in centuries and the Elder Spirits all relinquished their duties or perished in the war against the Ancients." 

Danny smirked, "Not all of them. In fact, one of them has really helped me out a lot." The halfa placed the book back on the table in front of Ghost Writer and folded his arms across his puffed out chest. "Does the name Clockwork ring a bell?" he asked, a smug grin on his face. 

Ghost Writer's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. He shakily sunk back into his seat, mouth opening and closing like a fish but no words coming out.

"Uh, I think you broke him, Danny," Sam said, feeling slightly concerned about the ghost.

The Ghost King flew to Ghost Writer's side, trying to speak to him or get a response from the shocked spirit while the three teen's looked on in concern.

Danny suddenly felt very guilty. He had only wanted to get back at Ghost Writer a little in a petty bout of revenge for what happened during their last battle. He didn't realize the revelation would have shocked the book loving ghost that much.

After a while, Ghost Writer came back to his senses, resting his elbow on the table and his head in his hand. "I can't believe you know the Master of Time himself," he muttered, staring at Danny in awe. "All my afterlife I had believed that the Ancients and Elder Spirits were long gone, but now you, my enemy, are telling me that's a lie?"

Danny frowned at Ghost Writer's casual mention that he still considered Danny an enemy but decided to not pursue the topic.

"Clockwork has helped us out in the past, and we kinda owe him for saving Danny," Tucker said, placing a hand on his best friend's arm. Sam echoed the gesture and Danny smiled at his friends.

Tucker and Sam shared a knowing look. Neither of the humans fully trusted Clockwork, especially not after what happened the day they rescued Danny from Vizier. The Time Master refused to give them a straight answer about anything and only seemed concerned with the coronation happening as planned. They had tried voicing their concerns to Danny but the halfa had full trust in Clockwork, and insisted that the mysterious Elder Spirit had his reasons for doing what he did. Sam and Tucker had both agreed to not further press the issue with Danny and instead settled for keeping their eyes peeled for anything suspicious that Clockwork might do or be up to.

"The Time Master was actually the one to recommend Danny to be the next King," Fright Knight added, a look of pride appearing on his features. The Ghost King chose to withhold the information that Clockwork had also been the one to suggest the monarchy be revived, as for some reason Clockwork didn't want that information to be known.

"I still can't believe it," Ghost Writer sighed, pressing his hand to his forehead and staring intently at the image of Clockwork. "An Elder Spirit, existing in the Ghost Zone. Completely unthinkable."

"It's more thinkable than you realize," a voice cooed from above the group. Five pairs of eyes looked up to see a gorgeous starry night sky filled with splashes of blue, purple, black and gold. A pale face appeared in the center with glowing red eyes and upturned, curled horns. It's pink-tinted lips parted in a grin as the faint scar running through the face's right eye glowed a soft red.

The group, save for Fright Knight, stared up in awe at the sight before them. The sky slowly grew smaller and smaller, taking on the shape of a body. Eventually, Nocturne stood before them, in all his glittering glory. A mock expression of hurt was on his face as he placed a clawed hand on his starry chest. "Oh little ones, how you hurt me," he said, a fake frown appearing on his face, "you praise Clockwork for being the only Elder Spirit you know, when you have the honor of knowing the almighty me."

The three teens groaned in unison and rolled their eyes. "Sorry if we forgot about you, Nocturne. But typically people don't like to remember that they're friends with someone that once tried to kill them," Sam apologized, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, can't we let bygones be bygones?" the horned spirit asked, a toothy grin appearing on his pale features. The only response he got was three glares. Nocturne sighed as he shrunk his body until he was slightly taller than Fright Knight and gave a quick greeting to the Ghost King.

"N-Nocturne?" Ghost Writer stammered, "The Elder Spirit of Mind?" All attention was on the book loving ghost as he had somehow turned a shade paler than he already was.

Nocturne smiled and bowed his large head. "I see not all beings have forgotten about my existence," he said happily as splashes of gold became more prominent on his body.

Seeing the almighty spirit in front of him appeared to be too much for Ghost Writer as his eyes rolled back into his head and he promptly fainted. He fell to the ground with a crash, shaking the table and causing the stack of books to topple over and scatter everywhere. The three teens had to dive out of the way of the avalanche of books as the Ghost King rushed to Ghost Writer's side.

"Oh wonderful, you made my assistant faint, Nocturne," Fright Knight said with a frown as he lifted the unconscious body of Ghost Writer.

Nocturne scoffed as he watched Fright Knight carry the injured ghost to a couch off to the side of the room and set him down gently. "How is any of this _my_ fault?" the starry spirit asked, crossing his arms.

The Ghost King merely sighed in response, rubbing his eyes. "It does not matter now. I will just teach the young Prince by myself," he said as he started to gather up the fallen books with the help of Danny and his friends.

As Tucker reached for a small book with a red cover, a star covered hand appeared in his vision. The technogeek shrieked in surprise as he scrambled backwards away from the hand. He watched as Nocturne picked up the small book which looked microscopic in his large, clawed hands and flipped through it.

Slamming the book shut, Nocturne smiled down at the group collecting books. "If you are looking for someone to teach the young Prince, who better than me to assist you?" he said suddenly.

Silence filled the room.

"You?" Sam asked, breaking the silence, "Why on Earth would you want to help? You've never wanted to help before."

Nocturne chuckled. "Who better to teach the young halfa the history of the Ghost Zone then a being that has been around since the very beginning?" he offered, increasing his size and letting his body shimmer brightly. Nocturne quickly shrunk back in size and grabbed Danny's arm, lifting the boy to his feet. "Besides," he continued, "I have been quite bored lately and I feel that being a teacher could prove to be quite interesting."

Danny tore his arm out of Nocturne's grip and floated away from the Elder Spirit, sending a scowl his way. He opened his mouth to protest when he was interrupted by Fright Knight.

"You do have a point," the Ghost King mused, placing a stack of books on the table.

Danny whipped around to face Fright Knight, utter shock on his face. "You've gotta be kidding me," the halfa sighed, "After all that he's done? You're just gonna say yes with no hesitation?" Danny was shocked at how easily Fright Knight was agreeing to the idea, especially since it seemed that the Ghost King seemed to have an even greater grudge against Nocturne than Danny and his friends.

Fright Knight ran a hand through his wavy brown hair, "I am not fully thrilled by this option either, but Nocturne is one of the oldest spirits in the Ghost Zone. If anyone can accurately teach you the history of this realm, it would be him." 

Nocturne sent a toothy grin Danny's way, his eyes squinting ever so smugly. He had thought it was going to be a stretch to ask Galahad to help teach the young halfa but it appeared his worries were all for naught.

The three teens continued to glare at the starry spirit, when chairs suddenly appeared behind them, sweeping the teens off their feet and bringing them to the table. The Ghost King took a seat at the head of the table as Nocturne slithered to the side of the table opposite to the teens.

After clearing his throat Nocturne held out his hands, bellowing a quick, "Sleepwalkers, form!" Immediately, large green ghosts with their eyes sewed shut appeared out of the floor. 

Danny, Sam and Tucker all went on the defensive, with Danny readying an ectoblast while Sam and Tucker charged their wrist rays. Fright Knight remained motionless.

"Now now," Nocturne cooed, "let us not be hasty now. My Sleepwalkers are not here to harm you." The Sleepwalkers began flying about the room, gathering books and stacking them into specific piles on the table in front of each of the teens. "To teach you children the history of this great realm, we absolutely _must_ start with this," the starry spirit insisted, picking up the soft blue leather bound book that Ghost Writer had been showing them earlier. 

He turned it over in his hands, looking at it with wonder and fondness in his eyes. "I thought all copies of this book were destroyed so long ago," he said quietly, a genuine smile appearing on his face, "I'm glad to see that I was wrong."

Nocturne held out the book to the group, gesturing to it dramatically. "This is the Codex of Creation," he began, his voice sounding almost mocking when he said the name of the book, "this little book is the book each Elder Spirit was gifted and contains a collection of all our knowledge."

Tucker raised his hand which caused him to receive confused glances from everyone in the room. "What?" he said, "force of habit." 

Nocturne raised his eyebrow, but after a quick explanation he learned that a raised hand was a sign that a student had a question. The starry spirit nodded to let Tucker know he could speak.

"You, Clockwork and Vizier are the only Elder Spirits that we know about," Tucker started, "how many of you are, or were there?"

Sighing, Nocturne placed the book on the table, taking a seat. "It appears I have overestimated how much you children know," he mumbled. With a wave of his hand the table was cleared of all books and the Sleepwalkers disappeared. His hands reached to his horns and removed the silver chain attached to an iridescent gem hanging from his horns. He placed the gem on the table and a glittering hand over the gem.

"It seems starting with the book will not be enough," he mused to no one in particular. "We will have to start at the _very_ beginning." Nocturne's hand that was covering the gem slowly began to turn white and the other four seated at the table felt their eyes become glued to the hand. "Prepare yourselves," Nocturne warned, "this experience is not always the most pleasant feeling."

Danny, Sam and Tucker felt their eyes begin to water as they could not stop staring at Nocturne's pure white hand. A ringing sound grew louder and louder and seemed to be coming from inside their skulls. All at once the ringing stopped, and their vision went pure white. 

Then everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Sorry this chapter took a while. Life and writer's block got in the way. BUT I do think I now have a semi-permanent schedule in place. Updates for this book will come out every Saturday (or at least every other Saturday) I'm slowly starting to work on 'A Different Kind of Hero' again, as well as putting in some work on some other books I plan on releasing/updating soon. Thank you all for staying patient with me and I'll see you in the next update!
> 
> P.S. I'm sorry if the story seems a bit slow right now. I swear it will pick up soon.


End file.
